Krieger was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Dumfries, Virginia. Coached by her father for 12 years, Ali played youth soccer on the Prince William Sparklers. Her team included eight core players who grew up and played together all 12 years. In high school, Ali spent one year at Hylton High School before transferring to newly opened Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. At Forest Park, she was a three year team captain, led her team to their first undefeated regular season and was a three-time, first-team all district player. She was twice named an All-Virginia AAA selection and was an All-Met Honorable mention during her sophomore year. During her junior and senior years, she was a first team All-Met selection and as a senior was named The Washington Post's Player of the Year. Ali was also honored as Gatorade's state player of the year in her final year at Forest Park.[2]

Krieger attended Penn State University from 2003 to 2006 where she played for the Nittany Lions women's soccer team. With the team, she was a two-time All-American, a first team NSCAA All-American, co-defensive player of the year, team captain, Big-Ten Freshman of the year and a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy.[3] While at Penn State, her team won four consecutive Big Ten championships.

During her junior year, Krieger's leg was broken two days before the NCAA College Cup preventing her from playing during the top-level tournament.[4] A few months later in January 2005, Krieger began experiencing shortness of breath and checked into the hospital as a precaution. Blood clots in her lungs were affecting her blood flow and had triggered six mini heart attacks.[5] She subsequently made a full recovery and returned to play with the Nittany Lions the same year. During her senior season, she switched from the midfield position to defense and earned the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year award.[4]

In the summer of 2007, Krieger moved with fellow American Gina Lewandowski to 1. FFC Frankfurt, where she remained in the starting eleven since the beginning of the 2007 season, barring injury.[6] In a game against FCR 2001 Duisburg on 24 February 2008, Krieger scored her first goal for FFC Frankfurt in the 73rd minute. While injured for most of the 2008–2009 season, she regained match fitness with Washington Freedom of Women's Professional Soccer. Following the conclusion of the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, Krieger returned to Germany in August 2009 and was slotted straight into the starting 11 for FFC Frankfurt. Having spent four years with FFC Frankfurt, Krieger became fluent in German and considered Germany her second home.[7]

In February 2010, Krieger's contract with FFC Frankfurt was extended early for an additional year through June 2011, with a player's option year through 2012. Her contract allowed her to compete on the U.S. Women's National Team, and U.S. Women's World Cup team. In March 2011, Krieger announced she would not return to 1. FFC Frankfurt and would return to the United States to concentrate on earning a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team in preparation for the World Cup. She left open the possibility of playing again in Germany after the World Cup and the following year's Olympics.[8] In her final game on March 26, 2011 for FFC Frankfurt against defending champion 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, Krieger played all ninety minutes as her team won the German Women's cup competition (DFB Pokal).[9]

Krieger spent a few weeks traveling and making appearances following the World Cup. Despite the extensive travel demands required to be part of the U. S. Women's National Team during an Olympic qualifying year, Krieger missed her team and the high quality soccer she enjoyed in Germany. She decided in August 2011 to rejoin FFC Frankfurt, signing a two year contract.[10] In December 2012, Krieger requested and was granted release from her FFC Frankfurt contract to return to the United States. On January 11, 2013 she joined Washington Spirit in the new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

In September 2008, Krieger was named one of Women's Professional Soccer's initial twenty-one allocated players from the United States Women's National Team, having been assigned to Washington Freedom.[11] However, due to her contract with 1. FFC Frankfurt, she was initially unavailable to join the Freedom. Frankfurt agreed to a transfer in June 2009 following the conclusion of their season, which allowed Krieger to return from injury and regain match fitness. Her first match for Washington Freedom was on June 13, 2009.[12] Initially recovering from a foot injury suffered in Germany, she rounded into shape and played her best in the final games of the season helping to lead the Freedom in securing a playoff position.

After signing a short term contract through November 2013,[15] Krieger played her first game for Tyresö FF on August 21, 2013 just days after the end of the NWSL season. She joined U.S. national teammates Christen Press, Ashlyn Harris, Whitney Engen and Meghan Klingenberg on the team. During her seven appearances for the club, the team went undefeated.[16] While some American players delayed their return from Sweden, to try and win the UEFA Women's Champions League, Krieger and Harris returned to the Washington Spirit for the start of the 2014 campaign.[17]

2011 United States women's national soccer team players, Jillian Loyden, Nicole Barnhart, Lori Lindsey, and Ali Krieger, with United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Krieger made her first appearance with the United States women's national soccer team in the Four Nations Cup in China, on 16 January 2008 against Canada.[18] She was named in October 2010 to the 18 player roster of the U. S. Women's National Team to play in the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Cancun, Mexico. She started all four matches, helping the U.S. Women's National Team win the Algarve Cup in March 2011.

Krieger scored the fifth and decisive penalty kick after extra time against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. The match, played on July 10, 2011, marked the 12 year anniversary of the United States Women's National Soccer Team's championship win against China, also ending in a shootout.[19] She was one of only four players for the United States to start and play all 600 minutes of the tournament. She was named to Fox Soccer's Best 11 as the best right back in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Krieger was named to the roster of the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying, but suffered ACL and MCL tears in her right leg in the first match against the Dominican Republic, jeopardizing her participation in the 2012 London Summer Olympics.[20] She returned to Germany and immersed herself in an intensive rehabilitation program. By the middle of May she began rebuilding the strength in her knee and was running, training and kicking a soccer ball. Krieger was available to be selected to the Olympics, however the final team roster was named early prior to her complete recovery.

In December 2012, she returned to the United States to concentrate on the United States Women's National Team and in her first camp since her devastating injury the year before moved right into her starting spot on the defensive back line. New USWNT coach Tom Sermanni, commenting on her play against Scotland on September 2, 2013 said, "The way she played tonight is the way she is in training. She’s solid. She’s uncompromising. She’s one of those players you wouldn’t want to be playing against week in and week out. So it’s great to see that energy and enthusiasm coming back in this squad.” [21]

Geographic location of the venue where the competition occurred
Sorted by country name first, then by city name

Lineup

Start – played entire matchonminute (offplayer) – substituted on at the minute indicated, and player was substituted off at the same time

offminute (onplayer) – substituted off at the minute indicated, and player was substituted on at the same time
(c) – captain
Sorted by minutes played

Goal in match

Goaloftotal goals by the player in the match
Sorted by total goals followed by goal number

#

NumberOfGoals.goalNumber scored by the player in the match (alternate notation to Goal in match)

Min

The minute in the match the goal was scored. For list that include caps, blank indicates played in the match but did not score a goal.

Assist/pass

The ball was passed by the player, which assisted in scoring the goal. This column depends on the availability and source of this information.

penalty or pk

Goal scored on penalty-kick which was awarded due to foul by opponent. (Goals scored in penalty-shoot-out, at the end of a tied match after extra-time, are not included.)

Score

The match score after the goal was scored.
Sorted by goal difference, then by goal scored by the player's team

Result

The final score.

Sorted by goal difference in the match, then by goal difference in penalty-shoot-out if it is taken, followed by goal scored by the player's team in the match, then by goal scored in the penalty-shoot-out. For matches with identical final scores, match ending in extra-time without penalty-shoot-out is a tougher match, therefore precede matches that ended in regulation

aet

The score at the end of extra-time; the match was tied at the end of 90' regulation

pso

Penalty-shoot-out score shown in parenthesis; the match was tied at the end of extra-time